Audit: Sirens should have sounded during storm

Aug. 19, 2013

Carol Marhold of Dale, along with her daughters Melody, 8, and Melissa, 13, removes debris Aug. 8 from the the damaged vehicle of a friend in New London. Outagamie County officials released a report Sunday saying sirens should have been sounded during the storm Aug. 6-7 that included six tornadoes. / Dan Powers/Post-Crescent Media

Storm timeline

The storm hit overnight Aug. 6-7. 10:46 p.m.: The National Weather Service issues a severe thunderstorm watch for the region. 11:50 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning is issued for Waupaca County. 12:23 a.m.: First tornado hits southwest of New London, causing significant damage to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. The tornado ends in Greenville at 12:33 a.m. 12:25 a.m.: Second tornado strikes farther south of New London and causes two injuries at Huckleberry Campground. 12:30 a.m.: The National Weather Service issues a severe thunderstorm warning for Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago counties. 12:35 a.m.: Just north of Greenville, a third tornado touches down, traveling through Appleton near the Northland Mall and ending at 12:52 a.m. northeast of Forest Junction. 12:38 a.m.: The fourth tornado hits Mackville and ends 3 miles east-southeast of Greenleaf at 12:53 a.m. 12:40 a.m.: A fifth tornado travels 30 miles from west-southwest of Freedom to east of Maribel, where it ends at 1:10 a.m. 1:06 a.m.: The final tornado hits 2 miles southwest of Pilsen, ending three minutes later southeast of the town. Source: National Weather Service Aug. 12 report

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APPLETON — An internal Outagamie County memo says emergency personnel had ample time and reason to sound sirens during the Aug. 6-7 storm and broke county policy by failing to do so.

The timeline was released Sunday afternoon by Public Safety Committee Chairman James Duncan after strong public reaction following exclusive Post-Crescent Media reports Friday and Saturday that detailed problems with the county’s response to the storm and its communications equipment.

“The conclusion from the document is that the policy was not followed,” Duncan said. “There were calls coming into the 911 center reporting damage, a clear indication to set off the sirens.”

The memo, issued by Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Jobe, says a National Weather Service severe thunderstorm warning issued at 12:30 a.m., along with 911 calls at 12:31 a.m. and 12:32 a.m. reporting damage to buildings in Hortonville, should have triggered activation of the sirens.

After a closed-door meeting Friday, the Public Safety Committee recommended County Executive Tom Nelson reprimand Emergency Management Director Julie Loeffelholz, including the possibility of firing. The committee also recommended that Sheriff Brad Gehring reiterate to telecommunications supervisors to sound the sirens if all conditions are met without waiting from approval from emergency management officials.

Loeffelholz arrived at the communications center about six minutes after the sheriff’s audit says the sirens should have been sounded, but it’s unclear if Loeffelholz knew about the calls reporting damage.

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Nelson requested Sunday that Loeffelholz provide a written timeline of her own about storm communication and action from Aug. 7, said Craig Moser, Nelson’s deputy executive.

“We want to make sure we have all the information given the serious recommendations by the committee in terms of discipline,” Moser said. “I think some people are rushing to judgment before we have the full perspective.”

Loeffelholz took over as emergency management director in January. She previously had served as Grant County’s deputy director of emergency management, and worked as a firefighter and on hazardous materials and dive teams.

No one was killed in the storm, but it wreaked $31 million in damage in Outagamie County and took out power to about 60,000 We Energies customers in northeast Wisconsin, including both Appleton hospitals. Some customers were without power for days.

The storms were fast moving and violent enough to disguise the tornadoes in their midst from meteorologists. Even the National Weather Service could not confirm tornadoes had touched down until daytime Aug. 7.

Two of the tornadoes hit before the 12:30 a.m. severe thunderstorm warning, the earliest time the sirens would have been activated under county policy.

The first tornado arrived in New London at 12:23 a.m., followed by a second at 12:25 a.m.. A third hit just north of Greenville and traveled through Appleton at 12:35 a.m.

At 12:28 a.m., a call arrived at the 911 center about sparking power lines in New London.

At 12:37 a.m., law enforcement radio calls reported damage to buildings and a possible tornado in Greenville.

A fourth tornado hit Mackville at 12:38 a.m. and a fifth hit Freedom and Maribel at 12:40 a.m. The final tornado touched down near Pilsen at 1:06 a.m.

National Weather Service meteorologists and some local officials, including Greenville Town Chairman Randy Leiker, have argued people shouldn’t rely on sirens as their primary alert in situations like the Aug. 6-7 storm because they are intended to alert people outside, not people in their homes. They say a weather alert radio is the best tool for receiving warnings.

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Duncan, however, is focused on whether the county followed its own policies. “Whether or not the National Weather Service does something, or whether you think the sirens are appropriate, the only responsibility the county has is to set the sirens off and (the public) would like people to fulfill their responsibility.”

Supervisor Tanya Rabec, an outspoken critic of the storm response, said the timeline is confirmation that staff should be disciplined.

“There were repeated times that show the system should have been activated,” Rabec said. “There was significant damage from winds, then trees down, and at 12:38 it shows a radio tower went offline. If that’s not enough to tell you the situation is severe, I’m not sure what would.”

Supervisor Mark Rahmlow, who represents parts of storm-ravaged Freedom, Kaukauna and Wrightstown, said some type of discipline is warranted.

“The way things that have unfolded, it sounds like there was ample opportunity to sound those sirens,” Rahmlow said Sunday. “People want to know what happened. It’d be great for the county to clarify what happened and how they’ll move forward.”

Loeffelholz has declined comment on the issue, citing the ongoing personnel review. Another closed-door meeting is scheduled Monday evening in Appleton to discuss how the storm was handled.